Each year, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad works with Fort Wayne Historical Society to bring the Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 to Cuyahoga Valley. Steam in the Valley will be the only public passenger trips offered with No. 765 this year.

Aboard the two-and-a-half-hour living history train ride, passengers will enjoy live 40’s style music, an onboard quartet, and a photo run-by. The train gives an exclusive, vintage-themed atmosphere perfect for a special day out. Historical reenactors will be roaming about the station and train to give off the excitement of the 1940’s. CVSR encourages guests to dress for the occasion in their best 1940’s or 50’s look.

For the first time, CVSR is adding a Friday nighttime photo session excursion. The ride will depart at 7:30 p.m. from Rockside Station and take passengers on a three-and-a-half-hour roundtrip. Halfway through the ride guests will deboard at Akron Northside Station for an exclusive nighttime photo shoot on No. 765. The engine will be stationary, and the area will have special lighting, so passengers have optimal shooting conditions for a rare nighttime photo of No. 765.

New for 2019, CVSR celebrates the return of the steam engine with other new programs. When choosing seating options on select dates guests can select enhanced seating options including; a Family Friendly Car with crafts and activities for kids; Zephyr Morning Mixers which includes a Bloody Mary/Mimosa bar and muffin; California Zephyr Selections which includes chef-prepared appetizers and complimentary bar service; Steam Speakeasy which includes four craft cocktails paired with appetizers; and an all you can eat BBQ Dinner. Guests also have the opportunity to enjoy the popular Dinner on the Train behind the helm of No. 765 on September 27.

Tickets range from $25- $150, depending on seating and enhanced programming options. Seating options include: coach, open air, table, first class, lounge, suites and upper dome. To make the experience truly one of luxury, seating in the California Zephyr cars is available. All passengers ages 3 and older must have a ticket. Children under the age of 3 may ride for free but must sit on a parent’s or guardian’s lap.

Steam in the Valley departures are out of Rockside Station (7900 Old Rockside Rd., Independence, Ohio) on Saturday, September 21 and 28 at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6 p.m., and on Friday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. Departures are out of Akron Northside Station (27 Ridge St.) on Sunday, September 22 and 29 at 10 a.m., and 2 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure. Tickets can be purchased online at www.cvsr.com/steam/ or over the phone at 1-800-468-4070 x1.

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) is a private sector, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer supported organization operating in partnership with Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) and is dedicated to the preservation of passenger rail transportation in Cuyahoga Valley and the historic Ohio & Erie Canalway. CVSR has been providing excursion rail service for more than 40 years. For more information about the railroad, visit CVSR.org.

About Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, Inc. (FWRHS) is an award-winning, 501(c)3 non-profit corporation founded in 1972. The FWRHS has over 800 members, 100 volunteers, and nine board of directors. Throughout the year, it hosts and administers passenger train excursions, private charters, public exhibitions and education outreach activities with restored Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive no. 765 and a variety of other vintage railroad equipment throughout the Midwest. The first non-profit of its kind to successfully restore and operate a steam locomotive, the Society holds regular work sessions and open houses at its restoration facility in New Haven, Indiana during the year.

Historic steam locomotive no. 765 is a high-stepping, fourteen-wheeled, magnificent machine that stands 15 feet tall, weighs 404 tons, goes over 60 miles an hour and restored to the way it looked and sounded when it was built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1944. Celebrated for pulling passenger excursions throughout the country as a goodwill ambassador, the 765 is the pride of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and one of only a handful of steam locomotives that still operate in the United States.